Line coiling apparatus

ABSTRACT

A crab trap warp line coiling mechanism is disclosed that can be operated conjunctively with line hauling mechanism. A chamfered presser wheel that wedges line into the V-shaped groove of the coiler&#39;&#39;s power driven sheave is mounted on a rocker arm operatively associated with interlock mechanism for the rotative slinger. A slip clutch for the drive connection to the slinger permits the slinger assembly to be stopped positively by the interlock when the presser wheel is raised without interrupting the driven rotation of the grooved sheave, and thereby safely permits removal and insertion of line through registered slots in the slinger and associated parts.

United States Patent 11 1 Tremoulet, Jr.

[ Aug.7, 1973 I54| LINE (IOILING APPARATUS [75l Inventor: Olivier L. Tremoulet, Jr., Seattle,

Wash.

[73] Assignee: Marine Construction 8L Design Co.,

Seattle, Wash.

[22] Filed: Feb. 2, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 111,971

[52] US. Cl 242/47, 242/82, 242/83, 254/175.5, 254/197 [51] lnt. Cl. B65h 51/00 [58] Field oi Search 254/l75.5, 197; 242/82-83, 47

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,407,353 9/1946 Wagner 242/82 3,029,039 4/1962 Martinez... 242/82 3,034,767 5/1962 Gordon..... 254/197 X 3,078,074 2/1963 Benedict 254/1755 Tyng 242/82 Whitacre 242/82 57 ABSTRACT A crab trap warp line coiling mechanism is disclosed that can be operated conjunctively with line hauling mechanism. A chamfered presser wheel that wedges line into the V-shaped groove of the coilers power driven sheave is mounted on a rocker arm operatively associated with interlock mechanism for the rotative slinger. A slip clutch for the drive connection to the slinger permits the slinger assembly to be stopped positively by the interlock when the presser whee] israised without interrupting the driven rotation of the grooved sheave, and thereby safely permits removal and insertion of line through registered slots in the slinger and associated parts.

8 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEB SHEET 1 OF 4 Fem #meAuz/z PUMP HAM/LE2 M VEA/TOE OLIVIER L. TREMOULE T, JR.

LINE COILING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This application is companion to application Ser. No. 111,977 filed Feb. 2, 1971 by Ronald W. Bartl and George G. Fulton directed to line hauling and coiling apparatus and features of the coiler herein disclosed.

In Alaska King Crab fishing the lines are lowered and hauled by lines or warps" secured to floats. The length of the lines used are increased for greater depths when necessary by tying on one or more additional line sections. Because the loaded traps are large, heavy and often become embedded and stuck in the bottom it has become common to use power driven haulers such as are disclosed in Tullus B. Gordon, U. S. Pat. No. 3,034,767 (/15/62). The line being hauled comes in rapidly and must be coiled in orderly manner. A crewman trying to do this while attending other duties including pulling on the line at times to help the hauler, especially to pass knots, cannot always do the job well without assistance.

An object of this invention broadly is to provide an improved mechanical line coiling device that can be used safely and efficiently aboard crab fishing boats in cooperation with a line hauler so as to take up and coil the incoming line and to provide controlled tension in the line leading from the hauler. More specifically this invention is directed to improvements concerned with the efficient, reliable operation of line coilers, and with the safe and rapid threading and removal of line therein.

A specific object hereof is to provide a coiler into and from which a line can be threaded and removed conveniently, safely and quickly to suit the rigorous timepressure conditions of usage in crab fishing wherein the traps must be quickly hauled, emptied, rebaited and reset before the moving vessel leaves the vicinity of the previous set to haul the next trap. A related object is to provide a drive and interlock mechanism for line coilers permitting safe and reliable line threading manually, by indexed stopping of the coiling slinger without necessity of stopping the feed sheave nor the associated hauler circuit hydraulically with it.

Still another object ofthe present invention is to provide a line coiler which will pass knots consistently and which will feed a knotted line efficiently. A related object is to devise a line coiler having an efficient line feed mechanism which has the tendency to remain drivingly engaged with the line being coiled despite forces, such as undulation forces causedby slinger rotation, the passage of knots, or misalignments of infed line with the plane of the feed sheave tending to dislodge aline from the feed sheave.

These and other features, objects and aspects of the invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the.

accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiments of the invention.

DRAWINGS FIG. I is an isometric view illustrating line hauling and the associated improved coiling apparatus as installed for use aboard a crab-fishing vessel.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a combined hydrau he drive system for the hauling and coiling apparatus.

LII

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation view with parts broken away illustrating the improved line coiler mechanism in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken in a radial plane through the coiler drive sheave and presser wheel, with a line engaged therebetween to be fed for coiling.

FIG. 5 is a top view with parts-broken away illustrating the coiler mechanism shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view with parts broken away showing the coiler mechanism of FIG. 3 viewed at to the showing of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 illustrates separately for clarity the latch and latch release mechanism associated with the presser wheel support arm and rotary line slinger of the coiler mechanism in an operating position as shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 6 but with most of the illustrated parts shown in full and with the slinger latch in stationary position for threading or removal of a line and with the presser wheel raised to clear the drive sheave for either such purpose, the view in FIG. 6 showing the parts in operative position as when hauling and coiling line.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the latch andlatch release mechanism in the latched or locked condition of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 6 of a modified coiler mechanism including a fluid-actuated presser wheel support arm.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a combined hydraulic drive actuator shown in FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION In FIG. 1 a hauling and ceiling system is shown installed aboard a crab fishing vessel V such as used in northern Pacific waters to catch king crabs. The traps used for king crab fishing are very large and heavy and the warps or lines to set and retrieve them cannot be hauled with sufficient speed, if at all, without the use of powered equipment. The linehauler H shown mounted on the davit D is of-a commecially available type following generally the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,767 (Gordon). It comprises a V-shaped sheave H1 driven by a hydraulic .motor H12 and having associated fairlead mechanism H3, line stripping means H4, and off-bear guide means H5. The line hauler H is itself not part of the present invention and to the extent it is part of the disclosed combined hauling and coiling system the details thereof are or may be conventional or of any appropriate design.

In use of the line hauler H to retrieve a crab trap,(not

shown) the crab trap line or warp L is inserted in the from shallow to deeper waters. Moreover, because of the relatively noncompressible nature of the typical line material (polypropylene) and the use ofknots that can be readily untied when shorter lines are again necessary, the knots are large and their passage through the hauler without interrupting its continuity of operation presents a mechanical problem, especially due to the presence of the knot lifting the line upward from its wedged position in the sheave groove. Moreover in order to operate the vessel efficiently during normal conditions, the traps must be hauled emptied, rebaited and reset in a few minutes time. Whether being hauled for immediate resetting or for storage aboard, the trap warps come in through the hauler at a high rate of speed and must be appropriately received and coiled. Without an automatic coiler such as is disclosed herein the task must be performed by an already busy crew and must be done carefully and skillfully or resetting and storage of lines becomes troublesome. Moreover, operation of a mechanical coiler, such as the mechanism C of improved form provided by this invention is preferably coordinated with that of the hauler. Thus speed variations or direction reversals of the hauler under different operating conditions are matched by the coiler, and one mechanism helps the other in the uninterrupted inhaul and coiling of knotted sections of line.

The disclosed line coiler C also has a V-shaped linereceiving sheave which is driven by a hydraulic motor 12 through suitable reduction gear 120. As shown in FIG. 2, the two drive motors are hydraulic, namely the hauler motor H2 and the coiler motor 12, and are energized in series circuit through lines 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d and l3e from a hydraulic pressure fluid source (not shown) and through a conventional or suitable reversing control valve 13f. In one position of the valve, fluid under pressure flows in one direction through the two motors from the pressure source to the hydraulic reservoir or tank (not shown) so as to operate the hauler and coiler in the inhaul direction. In its reverse setting the valve causes reverse direction of flow through the motors from the source to the reservoir so as to reverse the motors. This is done momentarily after the trap is lifted aboard the vessel and line slack is desired at the hauler in order to permit disengaging the line from the hauler sheave. In either direction of drive the two motors start, stop and reverse together and, being energized in series, rotate at speeds which are equal or vary up and down together proportionately as load hydraulic drive pressure is varied.

Coilers sheave 10 is mounted for driven rotation on a horizontal shaft 14 which, along with the hydraulic drive 12, 12a which turns it, is mounted in suitable bearings upon frame plate 16 standing up from the support table 18 in turn mounted as a cantilever in horizontal position on the outer end of the cantilever support arm 20. The latter is held on the mast M by means of bolted clamp bands 22 at the desired above-deck height and at the desired orientive position addressing it correctly relative to the location of hauler II. By loosening and retightening the clamp bolts 220 the height and angular position (rotated about the mast M) may be varied to suit different conditions or to operate with differently stationed haulers or other line feed arrangements on the vessel. Hydraulic motor 12 and the drive ratio of its associated output gearing 12a are designed to rotate the coiler line feed sheave 10 so as to advance the line through the coiler at a speed normally slightly in excess of the speed at which the hauler H advances the line. Thus, if any slack tends to develop in the line between the hauler and the coiler, it will soon be taken up by the coiler and to the extent that the coiler tends to pull line faster than the hauler the line will slip in the V-groove of the coiler, yet at all times during normal operation will maintain appreciable tension in the stretch of line between the two devices so as to aid the hauler materially in its capability of gripping and applying drive traction to the line. This added line tension continuously maintained by the coiler greatly assists the hauler in passing knots without interruption or slowing down of the hauling operation. In so doing the coiler exerts a much steadier and more controlled amount of tension in the line between the two devices than could a crewman attempting, however diligently, to perform the same function. Thus the hauling operation in such a system is performed more reliably and uninterruptedly under varying or adverse conditions, employing a coordinated tractionally acting hauler and coiler, with the latter operating slightly faster than the hauler, than in conventional practice.

The line coiler sheave 10 has a V-groove of about 55 or thereabouts, included angle. The groove walls comprise or are lined with rubber or rubber-like material 10a of a type which will frictionally engage a line wedged into the base of the groove so as to increase drive traction capability of the sheave. Pressure against the line wedging it down into the base of the coiler sheave groove as shown in exerted by a presser wheel 24 mounted to be separately driven or, as shown, to rotate freely on a horizontal support shaft 26, the free end of which, 26', serves as a handle to raise and lower the wheel manually. In the presser wheels operative position bearing against the line L so as to force it into the base of the coiler sheave groove its axis of rotationlies in a vertical The plane displaced horizontally from the vertical plane containing the rotation axis of sheave shaft The amount of this offset of the presser wheel waters. approximates or somewhat exceeds the groove base radius of the sheave l0 and lies in the direction of advancement of the line over the top of the sheave 10 (FIG. 6) such that the wheel bends the line downward over the sheave and enables the wheel to pass knots but to resist being driven upward easily by their passage beneath the wheel.

The presser wheel support shaft 26 is mounted on the end of a support arm 28 which is pivoted intermediate its ends on a horizontal pin 30 on upright frame plate 16. The pivot 30 is located at an intermediate. level of height (i.e.-, between the heights of the shafts 26 and 14) and in a vertical plane offset horizontally from the vertical plane containing the axis of shaft 14 in the direction opposite from the offset of shaft 26. Thus, as will be seen best in FIG. 6 with pivot 30 as its fulcrum, the arm 28 carrying the presser wheel 24 causes the presser wheel to move downwardly against a crab trap line L retained in the sheave 10 along an are which intersects the point of contact between the presser wheel 24 and the line L at an acute angle to the tangential interface at the point of contact between the presser wheel and the line.

Moreover, in this improved coiler the presser wheel 24 has a soft rubber rim 24a both sides 2441 and 2402 of which are chamfered at an angle which is slightly (of the order of not more than a few degrees) steeper than the slope angle of the respectively adjacent sides of the sheave (see FIG. 4). It is found with these slope relationships .that not only is groove wall clearance afforded preventing chafing and wear but any tendency of the line to climb up out of the confines between the base of the groove in sheave and the rim of the presser wheel 24 is inherently offset by restorative forces returning the line back into the base of the groove where it tends to be retained squarely centered beneath the presser wheel 24 and thus subjected to maximum drive traction. This phenomenon is particularly useful in a coiler mechanism wherein the lines have knots and wherein the slinger (to be described) operating beneath the coiler drive sheave 10 sets up undulations in the line in the process of laying it in a coil beneath the mechanism. It also works to advantage if the plane of the coiler sheave is not accurately aligned with the direction in which line is fed to it, such as if the line is temporarily deflected by a person or object in the stretch between coiler and hauler.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 the presser wheel 24 acts by gravity as suggested by the dotted arrow in FIG. 6. To some extent its weight including that of its handle shaft 26 and adjacent end portion of its pivoted support arm 28 is offset by that of the opposite end portion of the support arm 28 and link 40 pivotally connected thereto, later to be described in connection with the associated latch mechanism of which it is a part.

Line L fed downward over the coiler sheave 10 enters a downwardly tapered funnelling shield or guide 42 of interrupted frustoconical form having on its bottom an out-turned mounting flange 42a by which it is bolted to the frame plate or table 18 in registry with an opening 18a in the table. The opening 18a is of the same size or slightly larger than the bottom opening in the guide 42 so as to pass the line freely through the table 18 and down into the rotary slinger tube 44. The frustoconical form of the entrance guide 42 for the slinger tube 44 is interrupted in the sense that it does not form FIGS. 6 complete frustoconical encircling member for the reason that one side of it is open so as to receive the rims of the coiler sheave l0. Intrusion of the sheave 10 horizontally through the upper portion of the guide 42 is sufficient to position the base of the sheave groove over the opening 18a through which the descending line L most pass. From the upright edge 42b, which is adjacent one exterior side of the coiler sheave 10 (see 6 and 8) the guide 42 extends circumferentially across the front or off-bear side of the coiler sheave 10 to a second edge 42c which is in registry with the adjacent edge of a slot 18b formed in the base plate 18 extending from the outer edge of the plate to the aperture in the plate. This slot will pass the line L for threading of the coiler. With the elbow-shaped tubular slinger 44 arrested in its indexed line threading position as shown in FIG. 8, its own longitudinally extending threading slot 44a lies in registry with the frame plate slot 18b and thereby permits threading of line transversely of its length into the coiling machine through the slots 44a and 18b and into a position where the line is disposable in the sheave groove.

The remaining segment of the interrupted funnelling guide 42 is the wedge-shaped segment 42d mounted on the bed plate 18 in a position to project up into the lower side of the tapered groove in sheave l0 to-which it generally conforms in shape with slight clearance between the sides of the groove and the edges of the segment 42d as shown best in FIG. 3. This wedge-shaped segment of the guide 42 serves not only a guiding or deflecting function which directs the line downwardly through the plate aperture 180 into the tubular slinger 44, but it serves in effect as a line 'peeler. In this latter capacity, in the event a line becomes stuck in the base of the groove of sheave 10, it will be stripped out of the groove and down into the slinger much in the manner of the line peeler or stripper disclosed in the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,767. Also, the position of the segment 42d and its angular relationship to a radius line of the sheave 10 to the element 420" is such as to enable it to serve this deflecting function efficiently. As will be noted in FIG. 8, this latter angular relationship is served and the segment is most easily made if the segment 42d is not of a true conical surface configuration but that of a simple cylinder, the elements of which are perpendicular to the top plane of the plate 18 which supports it.

Rotational support for the elbow-shaped tubular slinger 44 is provided by a bearing means 46 mounted on the underside of plate 18 to encircle the central aperture 18a in such plate. A sprocket 44b integrally encircling the upper end of the slinger tube 44 immediately beneath the support bearing 46 is engaged by a free and deflectable stretch of endless drive chain 48 which encircles the horizontally spaced driven sprocket 40 and idler sprocket 42. Sprocket 40 is on a shaft 54 journalled in and passing upwardly through the frame plate 18 and on its upper end has a bevel gear 56. Both gear 56 and sprocket 50 are keyed to shaft 54. Bevel gear 56 meshes with a eevel gear 58 on a horizontal shaft 60 which in turn is driven by a chain-and-sprocket transmission 62 including a sprocket on the shaft 60 and a sprocket on a slip clutch bushing 64 encircling and mounted upon the support and drive shaft 14 for the coiler sheave 10 (FIG. 3). The arrangement is such that driven rotation of the shaft 14 to turn the sheave 10 also acts through the slip clutch mechanism including the bushing 64 to drive the bevel gear 58 and thereby the endless chain 48 engaging the sprocket 44b by which to rotate the elbow-shaped slinger 44 about its vertical rotation axis. The use of chain 48 engaging sprocket 44b permits incorporation of a threading slot in the sprocket by which to insert and remove line L from the mechanism, without the presence of the slot causing interruption of the rotational drive of the slinger when the sheave 10 is being rotated. Use of a slip clutch in the drive connection from the sheave drive. to the slinger drive permits the slinger to be stopped positively in its indexing position by the latch mechanism shortly to be described, without necessity of interrupting drive rotation of the sheave 10.

As will be seen in FIGS. 3 through 8, the longitudinally extending threading slot 440: in the slinger is located on its side which faces the direction of rotation of the slinger with the mechanism driven in the direction to coil line. The elbow-shaped slinger tube 44 causes the line being advanced through it by the driven sheave 10 to be Thrown outwardly in a descending helical pattern so as to settle in a coil centered beneath the slinger.

Tn order to confine and shape the coil of line being formed by rotation of the slinger, it is preferred to provide a tubular receiver or tub directly beneath and concentrically with the slinger, such as by positioning it directly on the deck of the vessel V. The interior wall of this receiver is tapered upwardlly by a small angle such as of the order of a few degrees such that the line does not tend to hang up on the side walls of the receptacle but settles immediately on the coil being formed at the bottom and in orderly fashion coil by coil upon itself. The side wall has a relatively wide gap 700 extending from the top thereof an appreciable distance toward the bottom and, in the example, all the way to the bottom, which gap is sufficiently wide to enable reception of the floats on the leading ends of pot warps in the initial phase when the warp is being threaded into the coil; also to enable a person to reach in through the side wall directly and to directly withdraw the coiled line thus formed out the slot without having to lift the line upwardly through the top of the receptacle. Typically, a lashing thong L, will be laid on the deck extending into the interior of the receptacle 70 through the slot 70a so that its ends project free of the coil of line and so that it lies beneath the formed coil. Thereupon the thong L may be tied around the coil to hold the coil loops together for convenient storage.

In fulfillment of certain objectives of this invention, in order to thread line into and remove it safely and quickly from the coiling mechanism, as previously stated, it is desirable to provide a positive latching mechanism which arrests the slinger (despite continued drive of sheave with its wall slot 44a and its sprocket slot in registry with the slot 18b in the mounting plate 18. To this end, a latch arm 74 pivoted at 76 intermediate its ends on a frame extension 78 has an upturned tip 74a at one end which is adapted to engage in a recess or slot in the web of sprocket 44b as depicted in FIG. 3. Such engagement occurs when the latch arm 74 as it appears in FIG. 6 is rotated in clockwise direction from its normal retracted position shown in that figure wherein it rests against a stop ledge 80 on the frame extension 78. Link 40 previously mentioned depends from a pivotal connection 40a with the end of support arm 28 for the presser wheel 24 and has an edge 40b which normally rests and slides against a pin 82 projecting from one side of'the latch arm 74. There is a notch 400 in the same edge of the link 40 which is adapted to receive the pin 82 and is so formed as to hold this pin and with it the latch arm 74 in the latching position of the arm when the latter is swung in a clockwise direction (FIG. 6) so as to raise the pin to the level of the notch 40c (FIG. 8). This locking action of the pin 82 in the notch 40c occurs automatically by gravity due to the angled position of the link 40, once the latch arm is swung above its latching position with the dog 74a engaged with the recess or opening in the sprocket 44b. In order to effect such engagement it is simply necessary to raise the handle end 26 of the shaft supporting the presser wheel 24 to a height which thrusts the link 40'downward to a position where the notch 40c passes the pin 82, that is to a position above the position of those parts shown in FIG. 8. Thereupon lowering of the handle 26", raising the link 40, causes the link to pick up the pin 82 and thereby rock the latch arm 74 to the necessary degree to engage and lock the slinger. Under these conditions the slinger is stopped in the position described and the presser wheel 24 is raised out of contact with the line L if any would otherwise be at that time in the groove of sheave 10.

In order to safely start the operation of the coiler from its latched threading position shown in FIGS there is a handle 40d projecting laterally from one side of the link 40 where it may be grasped by an operator in one band who simultaneously grasps the presser wheel control handle 26' (FIG. 3) with the other hand.

Both of these handles must be simultaneously grasped by the operator in order to release the mechanism for operation, and this is done as a safety precuation which assures that both hands of the operator are clear of the moving slinger parts at the instant they begin to move, bearing in mind that the slip clutch mechanism comprising the bushing 64 permits the drive motor 12 to continue to turn during interruptions during which line is threaded or removed into and from the coiler. Now in order to unlatch the coiler slinger and to restore the presser wheel 24 to operating position (from the raised condition in FIG. 8 to that in FIG. 6) there is a cord 84 which extends between the corresponding ends of the arms 28and 74 and which cord is slack in the latched condition of the mechanism shown in FIG. 8. The procedure is to grasp the handle 40d in one hand while lifting slightly on the handle 26' in the opposite hand, draw the link 40 to clear its notch 400 from the pin 82, lower the handle 26' so as to advance the presser wheel against a line L in the drive sheave 10, thereby to pick up the slack in the cord 84 and with further downward motion of the presser wheel to swing the latch arm 74 in a counterclockwise direction to its position shown in FIG. 6 with the notch 400 located above and clear of the pin 82. The latching mechanism parts are shown fragmentarily in FIG. 7 and 9 corresponding respectively to the relative positions thereof in the overall views of FIGS. 6 and 8.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the mechanism basically is similar to that shown in the prceding figures, but there has been added to the mechanism for positioning the presser roll 24 and for operating the latch means a hydraulic piston and cylinder jack 100, one end of which at 102 is pivotally connected to the latch control end of arm 28, such as to the pivot pin 40a of the link 40,'and the opposite end of which is fixedly joined at 104 to the upright frame plate 16. The jack extends generally parallel to the link 40 such that extending and contracting the jack is effective to swing the presser wheel arm clockwise or counterclockwise between the positions shown in FIG. 10.

The hydraulic jack 100 has two purposes. The first is to enable an operator at the control station S, from which he controls not only the operation and direction of operation of the hydraulic motors for the hauler and coiler, also from this same station to operate a second and separate control valve so as to raise the presser wheel 24 and simultaneously actuate the latch mechanism thereby which causes the latch bar 74 to stop the slinger in its threading position shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this cycle of operation the hydraulic jack 100 is energized with hydraulic fluid in such a direction as to contract the length of the jack and thereby to swing the presser wheel support am 28 clockwise to a point at which the link notch 40c picks up the pin 82, whereupon removal of such pressure or reversal of the differential pressure applied to the jack 100 causes the latch arm 74 to be swung clockwise (FIG. 10) so as to stop the slinger in the threading or indexing position. At the end of this cycle of arresting the slinger in its indexing position no further function is performed by the jack 100 until the coiler is rethreaded with line and ready to operate, whereupon the same dual manual release procedure is required as in the preceding embodiment in order to condition the mechanism for operation.

The second function of the hydraulic jack 100 occurs during normal operation of the coiler and is one of increasing the hold-down or actuation pressure applied by the presser wheel 24 to the line L passing through the coiler. This is accomplished by applying hydraulic pressure to the jack 100 in such a direction as to rotate the arm 28 in the counterclockwise direction (FIG. 10) and is done at such times as when knots are being passed through the associated hauler or when an extra heavy line load on the hauler requires an additional assist from the coiler, in which the line would otherwise slip in the groove of the drive sheave l0 and usually also in the groove of the hauler sheave.

FIG. ll schematically depicts the jack 100 and the associated reversible control valve 106. which may be of a metering type so as to vary the pressure applied by the jack 100. As shown schematically the valve 106 is of the neutral seeking type whereby under normal operation no pressure in either direction is applied to the jack 100. Turning the control lever 106a in one direction progressively increases the contraction force of the jack and turning it oppositely progressively increases the extension force of the jack. The control valve 13f for the motors may be of the same type if so desired, although in that event the neutral seeking feature is normally not desired.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the above disclosure of the preferred embodiment which from the broader standpoint is illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the inventive concepts claimed.

I claim:

1. A line coiler comprising a line-guiding slinger, means to support the slinger to rotate on an upright axis, said slinger including an entrance at the top and a laterally directed exit at the bottom and operable by slinger rotation to cast line in a descending helix, means comprising a V-grooved sheave mounted and driven conjunctively with slinger rotation to rotate on a horizontal axis in a relative overlying position so as to feed line from its groove downwardly into said slinger, a presser wheel, support means rotatively mounting the presser wheel in position operative'ly to engage and press a line in the sheave groove and to retract the presser wheel therefrom to an inoperative position, said slinger and the support means therefor having respective line threader slot formations through which line may be inserted and removed transversely of its length, first drive means to drive the sheave, second drive means connected to be driven by the first drive means and including a slip coupling through which to drive the slinger, and indexing means associated with the slinger and operably connected with the presser wheel so as to stop rotation of the slinger by retraction of the presser wheel with the slot formations in registry with each other.

2. The line coiler defined in claim 1, wherein the periphery of the presser wheel rim is chamfered symmetrically at its sides at an angle slightly steeper than the sides of the sheave groove.

3. The line coiler defined in claim 2, wherein the chamfered rim of the presser wheel comprises an elastic material.

4. The line coiler defined in claim 1, wherein the presser wheel support means comprises a pivoted arm, said indexing means comprising said pivoted arm, a second pivotally mounted arm having a stop element thereon, a stop on the slinger engageable by said element to stop rotation of the slinger, means to intercon' nect the arms including cooperable latch elements on the respective arms interengageable initially by extending the retraction movement of the first arm beyond said inoperative position, and with the arms thereby interconnected to move the second arm to engage the stop by moving the first arm back to position the presser wheel in its inoperative position.

5. The line coiler defined in claim 4, including one handle means manually operable to hold the latch elements disengaged and another handle means on the first mentioned pivoted arm manually operable to disconnect the latch elements and return the presser wheel to its operative position.

6. A line coiler comprising a line-guiding slinger mounted and driven to rotate on an upright axis, including an entrance throat at the top and a radially offset and laterally directed exit port at the bottom to pass line downwardly through the slinger so as to cast the line in a descending helix by slinger rotation, and means to feed line through the slinger comprising a V- grooved sheave mounted on a horizontal axis and driven conjunctively with slinger rotation so as to feed line from its groove downwardly into said slinger, and presser means comprising a wheel rotatively mounted outwardly from the sheave groove on an axis parallel to the sheave axis, said wheel being positioned with its axis in a vertical plane materially offset from that containing the sheave axis in the direction of line advancement over the sheave to the slinger so as to bend the line downwardly around the sheave, said wheel having a chamfered rim, the sides of which slope at an angle slightly steeper than the groove sides of the sheave.

7. The line coiler defined in claim 6, wherein the presser wheel is supportively mounted on arm means operable to retract the'wheel from line-engaging position relative to the sheave, a non-rotative generally fun nel-shaped guide positioned above the slinger and operable thereby to direct line from the sheave down into the slinger, the slinger and guide having respective threading slot elements that may be placed in mutual registry by rotation of the slinger into predetermined position so as to permit removal and insertion of line transversely from and into the slinger and guide, indexing stop means operable at will to stop the slinger in said predetermined rotational position, said arm means having an operative connection with the indexing stop means actuatable at will by movement of said arm means with the wheel out of line-engaging position to stop the slinger in said predetermined position.

8. The line coiler defined in claim 7, wherein the arm means on which the presser wheel is mounted is pivoted to swing the presser wheel in a generally vertical are on an axis located on the side of the sheave generally opposite that confronting the presser wheel. 

1. A line coiler comprising a line-guiding slinger, means to support the slinger to rotate on an upright axis, said slinger including an entrance at the top and a laterally directed exit at the bottom and operable by slinger rotation to cast line in a descending helix, means comprising a V-grooved sheave mounted and driven conjunctively with slinger rotation to rotate on a horizontal axis in a relative overlying position so as to feed line from its groove downwardly into said slinger, a presser wheel, support means rotatively mounting the presser wheel in position operatively to engage and press a line in the sheave groove and to retract The presser wheel therefrom to an inoperative position, said slinger and the support means therefor having respective line threader slot formations through which line may be inserted and removed transversely of its length, first drive means to drive the sheave, second drive means connected to be driven by the first drive means and including a slip coupling through which to drive the slinger, and indexing means associated with the slinger and operably connected with the presser wheel so as to stop rotation of the slinger by retraction of the presser wheel with the slot formations in registry with each other.
 2. The line coiler defined in claim 1, wherein the periphery of the presser wheel rim is chamfered symmetrically at its sides at an angle slightly steeper than the sides of the sheave groove.
 3. The line coiler defined in claim 2, wherein the chamfered rim of the presser wheel comprises an elastic material.
 4. The line coiler defined in claim 1, wherein the presser wheel support means comprises a pivoted arm, said indexing means comprising said pivoted arm, a second pivotally mounted arm having a stop element thereon, a stop on the slinger engageable by said element to stop rotation of the slinger, means to interconnect the arms including cooperable latch elements on the respective arms interengageable initially by extending the retraction movement of the first arm beyond said inoperative position, and with the arms thereby interconnected to move the second arm to engage the stop by moving the first arm back to position the presser wheel in its inoperative position.
 5. The line coiler defined in claim 4, including one handle means manually operable to hold the latch elements disengaged and another handle means on the first mentioned pivoted arm manually operable to disconnect the latch elements and return the presser wheel to its operative position,
 6. A line coiler comprising a line-guiding slinger mounted and driven to rotate on an upright axis, including an entrance throat at the top and a radially offset and laterally directed exit port at the bottom to pass line downwardly through the slinger so as to cast the line in a descending helix by slinger rotation, and means to feed line through the slinger comprising a V-grooved sheave mounted on a horizontal axis and driven conjunctively with slinger rotation so as to feed line from its groove downwardly into said slinger, and presser means comprising a wheel rotatively mounted outwardly from the sheave groove on an axis parallel to the sheave axis, said wheel being positioned with its axis in a vertical plane materially offset from that containing the sheave axis in the direction of line advancement over the sheave to the slinger so as to bend the line downwardly around the sheave, said wheel having a chamfered rim, the sides of which slope at an angle slightly steeper than the groove sides of the sheave.
 7. The line coiler defined in claim 6, wherein the presser wheel is supportively mounted on arm means operable to retract the wheel from line-engaging position relative to the sheave, a non-rotative generally funnel-shaped guide positioned above the slinger and operable thereby to direct line from the sheave down into the slinger, the slinger and guide having respective threading slot elements that may be placed in mutual registry by rotation of the slinger into predetermined position so as to permit removal and insertion of line transversely from and into the slinger and guide, indexing stop means operable at will to stop the slinger in said predetermined rotational position, said arm means having an operative connection with the indexing stop means actuatable at will by movement of said arm means with the wheel out of line-engaging position to stop the slinger in said predetermined position.
 8. The line coiler defined in claim 7, wherein the arm means on which the presser wheel is mounted is pivoted to swing the presser wheel in a generally vertical arc on an axis located on the side of the sheave generAlly opposite that confronting the presser wheel. 